News & Perspectives on Beer and its Culture

Holiday Gift Idea: Bourbon Barrel-Aged Bottle Opener from YOpeners

If you want to hook up your beer-lovin’ friend/family member this year with a unique but useful gift, you really need to check out the Bourbon Barrel-Aged Bottle Opener handcrafted by the folks at YOpeners.

Before we get to these incredibly awesome bottle openers, we really need to let you know the wonderful story behind them. When John Miller came up with the idea to create YOpeners, his intentions went far beyond just establishing a small business. The true inspiration for YOpeners was simply to come up with a project that allowed him to spend some quality time with his autistic and legally blind son. Although his dexterity and vision issues keep him from using power tools, Miller’s son has become quite the expert at “helping press the carriage bolt into the opener.” When the duo completes a batch of bottle openers, pricing for each YOpener is then set to “basically covers the cost of materials and shipping” so that they can continue to buy materials for the next project. It is quite clear that these openers are about much more than selling a product and making a profit. They are more importantly a means to provide a father and son the chance to bond while “making some sawdust together.”

The Bourbon Barrel-Aged Rare Earth Edition YOpener has been made with various bourbon barrels that once aged beers atAnthem Brewing Company. Once the barrels are broken down, the staves are then cut, shaped and assembled to become a uniquely designed bottle opener that “opens the bottle while leaving the cap in perfect condition with no bends or creases of any kind.” For your convenience, these bottle openers also feature a wax cutter to handle those stubborn wax-dipped bombers and a convenient leather strap for added ease of use. As an added bonus, the special edition Bourbon Barrel-Aged Rare Earth Edition YOpener has a “a rare earth magnet embedded so it will stick to the fridge AND hold onto the cap when you open your bottle.” These openers are available on Etsy now for just $22 (click here to check them out), and you can even get a custom engraving add-on for $5 more.

Basically, what we have here is a thoughtful, custom-made, handcrafted gift that will see daily use and act as a heartwarming conversation piece whenever used while entertaining company. How can you possibly go wrong here? Make it happen and you can thank me later. Prost!